Election Results: Garza fends off challenger Sylestine in battle for TravCo DA

AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- One of the most watched races Tuesday night in Travis County was the Democratic race for District Attorney, with incumbent José Garza facing off against challenger Jeremy Sylestine.

Garza led early returns with nearly two-thirds of the vote, and continued to maintain that advantage as Election Day votes were counted. In the latest returns from Travis County, Garza had nearly 67% of the vote, leading Sylestine with a margin of more than 32,000 votes.

Garza will move on to face Republican Daniel Betts in November, who ran unopposed in the GOP primary.

The race between Garza and Sylestine, a former Travis County prosecutor turned defense attorney, grew contentious in the days leading up to Tuesday. Sylestine's campaign aimed to highlight what it calls Garza's track record of prosecuting violent crime; Garza, on the other hand, accused Sylestine of being a "MAGA" opponent.

Less than 9 percent of Travis County's registered voters cast ballots during the two-week early voting period, which ended last Friday. Another eight percent turned out Tuesday, pushing the county's turnout margin to 17%.